False Friendship
by Theralion
Summary: Predecessor to Changing Perception. Teana learns from her experience with Runessa Magnus that sometimes, you don't truly know the people you think you do. And sometimes, when you think you've found the truth, it's not the whole story.
1. Prologue And Breaking The Ice

**False Friendship**

I stood over a young blonde woman, only a year younger than me, prepared to arrest her as the prime suspect in the Mariage serial murder case- the case we had both investigated together.

Only a few months ago, that same woman was standing before me, saluting and introducing herself to me as my junior partner. At the same time, she was meeting her primary opponent in her quest to avoid being identified as the killer.

Neither of us had expected this outcome. There was a time when I did not think she was capable of killing so many without remorse, and when she thought that I did not suspect her of doing such a thing. And even in this moment, I was unaware that there were still things about her that I did not know; I knew the essential facts about her guilt, but my knowledge about her was still far from complete. Over our months of working together, our perceptions of each other changed, in a journey of gentle turns and sharp swerves, we gradually came to this result. What follows is the story of this process.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Breaking The Ice**

The stories behind many murder cases begin well in advance of the actual killings, through circumstances that put the killer on the path to the victim. But in my case, I, an intended victim of the killer in this case, had the fortune to make the first move. What follows is my process of coming to realize the killer's identity, arresting her, and then trying to make sense of what I had learned.

My name is Teana Lanster, and I am an Enforcer for the Time Space Administration Bureau. My primary responsibilities are dealing with atrocious crimes and finding the criminals responsible. Often, the culprits I hunt are closer to me than I think, whether people I met briefly on certain occasions, or even people I worked alongside in one context or another. I have also realized that the criminals are not always entirely different from me.

A little less than a year and a half after my promotion, I received something of a surprise; I would become the partner of another enforcer who was working on a series of mysterious killings, but this time, as the senior partner. This was in stark contrast to my previous workings with my Enforcer mentor, Fate Testarossa-Harlaown, most of the other Enforcers with whom I investigated cases. Even Shari-san, Fate-san's assistant, despite lacking the desire and some of the necessary talents to become an Enforcer, was older and more experienced, and I found myself asking her questions even after I had surpassed her in rank.

Some of my worries were put to rest when my superiors ensured me that my partner was entirely competent, and did not need any on-the-job training. Still, there were questions that remained. How would her talents complement mine, in battle and in investigation? How would our personalities mesh? Most of the responsibility of finding the answers to these questions and making our partnership work lay on my shoulders.

I then became introduced to Runessa Magnus, a relatively new Enforcer who first attained the position of Enforcer not long before the Mariage killings began. What follows is how I sought to learn more about her, came to the painful realization of her true nature, and in the end, learned that even that was not the whole of who she was.

* * *

"Enforcer Runessa Magnus, reporting!" the young enforcer clad in a black uniform said, standing at attention and saluting me, as we met in the lobby of a Bureau office in Clanagan.

"Enforcer Teana Lanster," I responded, returning the salute. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Enforcer Magnus."

By the time our superiors left us to speak alone, I realized that Rune had not told me anything about herself except for what I could find in her personnel file. At the time, I credited all this to mere professional courtesy; just as we wear uniforms every day on duty, we also play our parts as members of the Bureau, and professional relationships take precedence over personal ones. As such, Major Nakajima and Ginga-san, father and daughter otherwise, are merely superior and subordinate while on duty.

But while Ginga-san starts calling Major Nakajima "Dad" again when they're alone or when they get off work, he's always been "Major Nakajima" to me, as some relationships are purely professional. And while Rune bore a striking resemblance to my former superior Fate-san with her red eyes and blonde (if short, compared to Fate-san's very long) hair, she lacked the friendly and motherly demeanor Fate often had.

"So, Enforcer Lanster, are there any questions you would like to ask me?" Rune asked.

I was at a loss for how to proceed from there. Subaru had taken the initiative in becoming friends with me, and had also taken the first steps to get the introverted and socially inexperienced Erio and Caro to see us as friends rather than merely fellow Bureau members. I thus had little idea what to do except do what Subaru did, and failing that, imagine what she might do.

"Yes," I replied. "Enforcer Magnus, you said you had a gun as a device?"

"Yes, ma'am. The official name is Silver Dagger, and it is a revolver."

"What sort of spells do you have armed for it?"

Rune paused while considering my question. Before she spoke again, she looked somewhat surprised, as if she had only just understood why I asked about the spells.

"I apologize for not being precise enough," she said. "To clarify, it is a revolver, an actual gun with bullets." I looked on, shocked, as such weapons were difficult to obtain certification for, and often found only in the hands of private security by those unable to use magic. "I have certification, though," she said, producing a card with her name and the registration for her weapon. Out of habit, I inspected the card and her gun before returning them to her.

"Interesting," I said. "I have a gun device, which is why I was asking. Its name is Cross Mirage, and it's less suited to bombardment spells, but it makes effective precision attacks. I can generally shoot down projectiles in mid-flight, and typically, a head shot can incapacitate a target. It even has a laser blade for close-quarters combat."

Of course, Cross Mirage was good for more than that, something that few people were aware of and something that took me a long time to realize. But keeping it a secret was an important part of retaining the element of surprise, and I did not tell just anyone about it. The only people to know of this technique were my trusted friends, those I faced in battle, or those who needed to know as part of my battle plans. As our first conversation outside of work was solely about our magic, I realized it would be a while before Rune qualified for the former.

Rune listened with rapt attention, which was not quite as present when we discussed our professional histories, such as where we were posted. At the time, I took it as a sign that Rune took her work seriously, was dedicated to improving herself, and even possibly enjoyed honing her skills in combat. All these seemed to be promising traits for a partner, although I cautioned myself that I needed to ensure that she did not recklessly thrust herself into danger or stubbornly put her efforts toward less than ideal outlets, as I once had.

I walked away with most of the information I needed. Despite being younger and earlier in her Enforcer and Bureau careers than I was, Rune would be able to fulfill her duties. I had obtained the basic facts of the case and her progress on it, and thus would have time to deal with other matters later.

* * *

After a few conversations in our off-hours, I hoped to start getting to know her better.

"So, Enforcer Magnus, do you have any relatives in the bureau?" I asked.

"Not to my knowledge, ma'am," she said. "I am an orphan without any siblings, and joined the Bureau as an individual decision."

"I'm sorry to hear that." I said, then after a brief pause, continued. "I noticed there's quite a few Magnuses in the Bureau; I once worked with a Sergeant Mercedes Magnus on a case."

"Really?" Rune said. "Then perhaps you could call me by my first name if you would like to distinguish between us."

"Certainly," I said. "The invitation is also open on my end, Enforcer Runessa."

After a brief pause, Rune responded.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I must decline… Enforcer Lanster," she said somberly. "I suppose it's easier for me to get used to a superior's familiarity to me than to show familiarity to one myself."

Rune's serious demeanor was highly reminiscent of myself in the past. I found myself wondering; was this what Subaru went through when reaching out to me? Back then, I had once told _Cadet Nakajima_ in no uncertain terms that I considered our association temporary and purely professional, and had no desire to go beyond it. Of course, I gradually became closer to her, and while I still thought we would be separated upon our graduation, we remained together for about five years, until opportunities to reach our desired positions presented themselves to us. We had known that day would come, and worked hard so that it would, but it was still difficult for Subaru and I to part ways, even with the promise that we would keep in contact and meet each other again.

Perhaps Rune was considerably more serious than I was. Then again, perhaps it was a sign of just how much I had changed since meeting Subaru and everyone else, a process of change I hoped she too would undergo. I suspected that her similarities with me were possible indications that that there was hope; it took time for me to warm up to Subaru, and I hoped time would help her find more in common with me. There was certainly some evidence to support my hopes, as she was willing to talk about subjects besides work, and eventually accepted more familiarity, first "Runessa" then "Rune" for short.

But things can often change in the course of a few months; . At the time, I never knew that she was the criminal I was searching for on the Mariage case.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

This fic, the first draft of which I wrote quite some time before "Perfection Is Overrated" and "Changing Perception," is intended to explore Teana and Runessa's relationships; it's rare that a friend in the Nanohaverse turns out to be an enemy, rather than an enemy turning into a friend. She has also committed crimes too great and too willingly to qualify for the typical rehabilitation, but she doesn't seem to be purely evil, nor does her regard for Teana seem entirely false.

One thing that made me curious is how Teana is fairly informal with Runessa "Rune" Magnus, but Runessa is still quite formal with Teana "Enforcer Lanster" Lanster. I personally interpreted it to Runessa not wanting to get close to Teana, but her response to being offered a position as Teana's partner indicated that she started to like Teana, anyway.

This also draws from the StrikerS manga, which details how Subaru and Teana became friends; the summary is that Teana was initially reluctant to be friends with Subaru (and judging by her tone, was not at all acting in a Tsundere way), but as she got to know her better, became friends with her. Teana seems considerably more relaxed and open to others than she was back then- Erio noted that she was hard to get close to at the time- so it's interesting to see her trying to get closer to someone, only to be shut out, and how it reminds her of herself.

On a minor note, it's a bit odd that Runessa doesn't have a character entry in Fanfifction's list of characters; immediately after Rio, there's Schach.


	2. Suspicions

**Chapter 2: Suspicions**

The Mariage killings had begun a month before I started on the case, primarily focusing on illegal excavators of Old Belka. The motive behind them was unclear- were the killings done to find what the archaeologists were searching for, to prevent them from finding something, or something else entirely?

What in particular stood out was that many of the killings were made to resemble suicides. Furthermore, it seemed as though someone or something was erasing anything that could be used as evidence, such as video tapes or anything that could identify or even indicate the presence of the killer at the scene. Naturally, Enforcer training led me to suspect that this might have been perpetrated by, or with help from, someone in the Bureau or familiar with Bureau methods. The fact that Rune was primarily a coroner raised some suspicion, but I found a part of myself wondering how she could in fact perform the killings with the tools she had at her disposal.

Another part of myself did not _want_ this possibility to turn out to be true, and was inwardly relieved at every piece of evidence that cast doubt on it, in spite of the fact that those developments left me no closer to finding another suspect.

* * *

My relationship with Rune remained much the same as it had at the beginning; in spite of what we had in common, there still remained a wall between us that we could not quite tear down. Was it because of professionalism or something more? The only way of finding out was to continue trying to reach out to Rune and see how she responded.

One night, I read an email from Subaru in which she mentioned she was teaching Vivio "Strike Arts" on her days off, which was not only a good fighting style for mages specializing in hand-to-hand combat, but it was also a means of exercise and a way of working off stress, leading to it being popular among civilians and those unable to use magic. Suddenly, I was reminded of our days in the academy, when Subaru had once proposed teaching me her fighting style. While our teamwork had brought us up to third place, and later, top of the class, we were not friends at the time, and there were contemptuous and often jealous murmurs going around about us. Some gossiped about Subaru's being the daughter of a major and my dropping out of the officer academy and air training, wondering if she was getting preferential treatment, and if I was possibly benefiting from such treatment as well, given that it seemed as though I had failed before and proven that I could not stand on my own. Subaru sought to kill two birds with one stone, helping me vent my frustrations and break the ice between us by teaching me her Strike Arts, and despite my reluctance, I ended up accepting.

It was for this reason that I ended up taking Rune to a shooting range on one day when we were awaiting more reports on Mariage activity so that I could show her how to use her gun. She was considerably more polite and humble in accepting this instruction than I had been toward Subaru's offer, although I sometimes wondered whether her behavior was a front to please me because I was her superior. I ended up being half right about that.

* * *

"Nicely done, Rune" I said as Rune hit the paper target in all the places of her choosing. Her performance in the trial run I had her do in order to gauge what she already knew was very good, but her accuracy improved considerably with my advice.

"Thank you very much, Enforcer Lanster," she said. "Your advice helped me refine my skills."

"You seem to have a good grasp of things," I said. "Bureau trainers like people who have enough talent so that they don't have to hold their hands, as well as the desire to get better. You have both, so you'll go far."

"I appreciate the comment, ma'am," Rune said. "I do hope to come away from this with improved skills."

"To come away" from our partnership; I knew most of my partnerships were temporary. From the start, I knew that I would eventually part ways with Subaru at the dissolution of Riot Force 6 and with Fate-san after my promotion; in hindsight, it's fairly surprising that I stayed with her as long as I did. But much like a child enjoys a vacation from school, I chose not to dwell on the inevitable ending, but rather, savor my time, and look back on it fondly when it was done. I also kept in touch with the people I met, but I wondered, what were Rune's plans after we parted ways?

* * *

Around this time, our investigation led back to Clanagan, and to some familiar faces. Ginga Nakajima of the 108th Division was there, as well as her younger sister and my best friend, Subaru, who was now a member of the Rescue Squad. Over time, more people, such as Erio, Caro, Vivio, and even some of our former enemies from the JS Incident provided assistance in various ways. The higher-ranking members of Riot Force 6 were all absent, but that was understandable. Not only were there many other incidents out there that needed to be resolved, but we were no longer rookies, and had to rise to the occasion as Bureau members.

As a result of this, Rune got to know the Forwards, and other former members of Riot Force 6, such as Alto-san, Vice-senpai, and the temporary collaborator Ginga-san. Her relationship with them was quite similar to hers with me. While calling her their "friend" would imply a level of equality and informality that was not present between her and them, they got along well.

* * *

While walking to meet Rune at the scene of a crime, I couldn't help but see Rune looking off into a distance, and mumbling to herself, something along the lines of "perhaps this time it will work…". The few other audible fragments of her conversation with herself did not give any other clue as to what she was talking about.

I then wondered what our former Vice-Captain Vita, now an Instructor alongside Nanoha-san, would say about leaving one's back open like that. Rune didn't even hear me despite my uniform-appropriate boots not being suited for stealth, which made me wonder if she was merely pretending not to notice. Finally, after a moment, I interrupted the silence with "I'm here, Rune"

"Ah, En-Enforcer Lanster, you're here already," Rune said, as she turned around, stood at attention and saluted in a single fluid motion.

There were a number of things I could have said in that situation. One was that she should watch her back lest she be taken off guard by a person seeking to kill her. Another was that I secretly liked her when she came off as awkward, and even found it slightly cute, as a glimpse of what she was like when she was not trying to be the consummate Bureau officer. I rarely saw her out of uniform and almost never saw her out of what could be considered "professional mode". Even the serious and often aloof Vice-Captain Signum dropped it from time to time, as difficult as it was to notice; Nanoha-san said Vice-Captain Signum was serious even around her friends. I could even have begun to engage Rune in friendly conversation, since her guard was lowered.

But I didn't quite know how to proceed or how to lessen the distance between us. Instead, I returned the salute and got down to business, neglecting to mention how long I stood behind her, and asked her about the matter at hand. It was not the last time I saw this side of her- literally or figuratively.

* * *

Late one night, we had a significant breakthrough in the case. We were unable to stop the killer from reaching its target, but we found two pieces of information; the true nature of the killer- or rather, killers, in the form of the Mariage- and the method by which they killed their victims- by mind controlling them and forcing them to commit suicide. The Mariage were formidable opponents, but also considered themselves expendable, raising the question of whether someone was pulling the strings. The only thing that appeared certain was that there was more than one of them out there.

It also changed my understanding of Rune. After the Mariage self-destructed, she appeared convinced that the killings would end, or at least hoping that we would think so. Normally, any Bureau investigator, much less a highly-trained Enforcer, would know that jumping to conclusions in such a way is dangerous, as if there turned out to be multiple suspects or if the dead or detained suspect was, in reality, not the true culprit, more people would die. It seemed uncharacteristic of Rune, a serious, practical and rational person, to allow herself to fall into groundless optimism.

Of course, if Rune was the killer, it would be advantageous for her to let us believe that the case was closed, enabling her to perform her killings with fewer people on her trail, and with the possibility of them not even initially realizing that the killings were still going on. Murders happened on Mid-Childia every day; Fate-san was, at the time, involved in a serial murder case of her own. If we prematurely closed the case, by the time we realized that the Mariage cases had never stopped, many more would have perished.

This seemed like an outlandish possibility at the time. However, when I mentioned Toredia Graze, the mysterious figure who was connected with all the victims, Rune answered that she did not know him, but not before hesitating slightly. It was as if my question had taken her off guard; her face had a sad and lonely expression that had never come through the stoic facade she always showed to me while acting as my subordinate. While no one else on the investigation knew him, and thus gave no reaction to his name, this was potentially worth pursuing. Perhaps Rune was hiding something, since the name clearly registered with her on a level she did not wish to openly admit. Perhaps he was, in fact, familiar to her somehow, and this link would prove relevant.

I didn't know it at the time, but Rune had set me on the path that led to the truth… and to her own arrest.

* * *

**Author's Note**

SapphoSensei: Thank you for the review. In addition to wanting to do this story, I also like showing how Teana, a tsundere, really feels about certain things.

Runessa's shock at Teana's question about Toredia is better expressed in the audio form of the sound drama, when she gives off a slight gasp of surprise after hearing Toredia's name.

You may notice that Teana is moving on to suspecting Runessa at a much earlier point in her respective story than when Chrono suspected Graham. This is in part because Teana is, at this point, still building her impressions on Runessa, while Chrono had more history with Graham, thus leaving more to be discussed, and more reason to doubt that he would activate the Book of Darkness. There's also was less to make Graham suspicious at the equivalent point in the Book of Darkness Case, since I inferred Chrono only suspected Graham around the time of the hacking into Bureau security.

Rune's showing her back to Teana and talking to herself when she doesn't think anyone is around are subtle habits that come up later in the Sound Stage. I decided to introduce them here as a way of foreshadowing.


	3. Gathering Evidence

**Chapter 3: Gathering Evidence**

The events of that night turned a possible theory into a very likely answer to our questions about the case, and the nagging sensation that my partner was a murderer became a persistent doubt.

However, investigations required more proof before action could be taken. Going in prematurely would be disastrous regardless of the case, as if Rune were innocent, it would erode her trust and damage our working relationship, and if she were guilty, it would give her an early warning to be more careful, or even slip away before being found out.

It meant that I would have more work to do before I could make any moves, but it also meant I would have more time to sort through my feelings.

Of course, this was entirely what my head was saying to me. In my heart, I liked Rune, saw quite a bit of myself in her, and appreciated having her input, her skills and her companionship on long and difficult cases. So I decided to ask her if she wanted to be my partner at the end of the case. I reasoned that if she were truly innocent, she and I would be a good fit as partners, as we were both highly skilled and worked well together.

Her response was noncommittal, but I didn't feel as though I was wasting my time by asking. She told me much about herself, having come from a bloody past to a more peaceful present, and being unsure of whether that place would be her home in the future.

Then, a part of me began to doubt my reasons for suspecting her. After telling me so much, how could she still be hiding an even darker secret? After suffering so much, why would she want to inflict even more pain on others?

* * *

I realized that the answers to those questions would not come from her direct admission, so I continued my research, and found out that she had, in fact been associated with Toredia in the past. But this further complicated the situation and raised more possibilities. Was she involved with what Toredia was doing? Was she responsible for hindering the investigation? Might she even be the mastermind herself? The information was enough to raise my suspicions, but not enough to provide me with the answers I sought. If any of these answers was "yes," her career would be over and she would be sent to prison, for hindering an investigation at best to murder at worst.

While she was doing maintenance on her gun, I placed a quick call to Ginga-san.

"Detective Nakajima speaking," she said.

"Ginga-san, it's me, Teana" I said.

"Hello, Teana, can I help you with something?" Ginga-san asked.

"Could you please let me know when Rune attempts to access information and try to keep an eye on her when you can? I looked into her background some more and she appears to be affiliated with Toredia."

"I understand," Ginga-san said. "She recently accessed some data about the former members of Mobile Division 6, but only had access to personnel. I think she might have been looking up you and Subaru."

"To what end, I wonder…" I said. "Ginga-san, I must be frank with you. Based on what I've uncovered, it's entirely likely that someone participating in the investigation is destroying evidence or otherwise impeding our progress. Runessa Magnus is our primary suspect."

"This is quite a disturbing possibility, to think we've been fooled by one of our own," Ginga-san said.

"And yet it might explain why we've been having trouble making headway," I said.

"Thank you for the warning, Teana; I'll do as you say," Ginga-san said. "I'm following up on some leads on Toredia; keep this information between us as much as you can."

The most painful part of reporting to Ginga-san was that I knew that my information was solid enough that I was no longer merely floating theories, but asking Ginga-san to consider Rune a possible suspect, and to act based on this information. It had come to the point where I could no longer deny or doubt my suspicions, but had to treat them with due seriousness.

From this point on, all my orders to Rune kept her within my sight or within the sight of someone who was to report back to me at all times. I kept her out of the more critical areas of the investigation, and limited the number of tasks she had that would take her elsewhere. Thankfully, with the number of people working on this, she was hard-pressed to notice how much her role was being reduced. Now the only step left was to find decisive evidence to determine what role she played in the incident.

* * *

Chasing Toredia was like hunting a ghost. Occasionally, we would see some trace of his presence or encounter some Mariage looking for him, but all of these paths led to dead ends. I began taking Rune's theories with a grain of salt, considering that she might have reason to keep us pointed in the wrong direction; if she were his mole, she would be winning as long as she kept us away from the truth while appearing competent. Of course, I had no reason to distrust Ginga-san, and she had no more luck. And while Rune was in a position to make things harder, there was no evidence to place her at the site of the killings; in fact, she often had an alibi. There were holes in the evidence that suggested tampering, but nothing to prove that she did it.

But if we captured Rune, what would she tell us? Would she lead us to Toredia? Was Toredia still alive, or did he even exist? And once we dealt with both of them, how could we permanently stop the Mariage?

Fortunately, the research of the eight-year-old Takamachi Vivio in the Infinite Library, combined with the efforts of Lutecia "Lu" Alpine, Otto and Deed yielded a surprising connection between Toredia and Jail Scaglietti, as well as the origins of the Mariage in the Dark King "Ixpelia". Ginga-san and Cinque, the latter of whom later became Ginga-san's partner, left to investigate what Scaglietti knew about this and find information that would lead us straight to the root of the problem.

* * *

The incident reached its climax before I could prove anything beyond Rune's affiliation with Toredia. A massive fire broke out at Marine Garden HQ, and Mariage were on the scene. It was in a class of its own and several times more dangerous and difficult than the prior incidents. At this point, if I was wrong about Rune being guilty, the true criminal- possibly Toredia himself- would seize the opportunity, with catastrophic results. And if I trusted Rune and turned out to be wrong about her, many innocent people would pay the price for my mistake.

Ginga-san contacted us from the orbital prison. According to her, Ixpellia had been found in Marine Garden, and was the producer of the control cores of the Mariage. If we controlled Ix, we could stop the attacks, but if Toredia seized control of Ix, he would have an army of Mariage at his command.

And then, the news I had been waiting for came in.

"Teana, I found out one more thing from Scaglietti at the end of our investigation," Ginga-san said. "Toredia Graze has been dead for four years; he cannot possibly be directly involved in this incident."

That single statement settled all my doubts and proved one suspicion that I had, one I had until this moment thought almost to be impossible. There had been no one else involved in this case. It had, from the beginning, been Rune who had carried out the killings by proxy, pretending to be Toredia while carrying on his plans. Playing both sides, she had advanced toward her goals, but now that we knew her strategy, it was time for it to end.

There was only one thing left for me to do: corner Runessa Magnus and prove once and for all that she was behind the killings.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Teana mentioned that her reason for realizing that Runessa was the culprit was because, after researching her background, she found her ties with Toredia. I personally believe that piece of information isn't enough on its own. She would have likely needed other proof, and I suspect that Ginga's finding out that Toredia was dead, which was uncovered around the time of the Marine Garden fire, would have been what Teana needed to confirm that Rune was not only involved with the killings, but was the mastermind behind them as well.

As for why Teana didn't act earlier, it's possible that she didn't have enough information to officially place Runess under arrest, but decided to minimize what Runessa could do on her own unsupervised until she could prove her guilt.


	4. What Must Be Done

**Chapter 4: What Must Be Done**

My plan was simple, in response to the simple reality that Rune was no longer an ally, but the criminal we had been seeking all along. I had to catch Rune in the act and prove that she was the mastermind behind the killings.

I created a Fake Silhouette that moved into position near the tunnel. I slowly approached Rune from behind, as she remained focused on the Fake Silhouette. I had mentioned that I could use illusion-type magic, but had planned on keeping this technique secret until a situation arose in which I needed to use it to guarantee our survival.

I then contacted her telepathically, to prevent her from finding out where I was; my Fake Silhouette was too far away for her voice to carry. Ordering her to stay behind and protect the rescue personnel from the Mariage, I offered to do the thing that threatened her plans the most- find Ix, the key to controlling the Mariage, while telling her to stay where she could not reach Ix. Now, if she even appeared to be looking for Ix, she would become suspicious. And from her position, she would have to do so in order to prevent me or anyone else from getting to Ix first.

Immediately after my Fake Silhouette disappeared into the tunnel and faded away once out of sight, Rune suddenly began outlining her plans with no one else in sight. The façade of a law-abiding Bureau officer she wore like she did her uniform faded away, and she expressed her plans to kill and reanimate the hundreds of disaster relief personnel in the area. Subaru… Ginga-san… their four sisters atoning for their crimes… Erio and Caro… Commander Waltz… simple people who merely wanted to protect others from disasters accidental, natural or deliberate… hearing that Rune wanted it to befall all of them was almost too much to bear. But I listened, and had all my information recorded onto Cross Mirage.

Having heard enough evidence to convict Rune, I took aim and prepared a magical bullet, intending to stop Rune before she could notice me or make any more progress on her plan. My target was now just another criminal who had no regard for human life, least of all mine. I fired without hesitation or regret, and Rune fell, paralyzed, never seeing her attacker until it was too late.

I approached the fallen Rune with caution, in order to make sure that it was not a trap. She had been one step ahead of me for the entire investigation, so it was not safe to assume that she had not prepared a decoy or an illusion of some sort in order to get me to lower my guard and set me up for a surprise attack. As I had not only those abilities at those disposal, but had also kept them a secret, I naturally suspected that Rune might have done the same, especially since her aim was to deceive me all along.

But the truth was that she had not anticipated being taken by surprise, struck down and lying on the ground, paralyzed and exposed. She had been acting in her typical manner around me, and allowed me to see her weaknesses when I had hidden my true abilities from her. She admitted that her past had colored her perception of the world, and it helped me understand why she could never be at home at Mid-Childia, and why she hoped showing us suffering would teach us much about the true price of war.

But could I have understood more of this if I tried? Could she have turned back on her plan? Could I have convinced her to change herself? Her answers were all decisively "no", but having seen two of my mortal enemies become close friends indebted to me, and getting on good terms with several of the others, I know that sometimes resolve can be less adamant than it seems at first, and you can have more in common with your enemies than you initially think.

But I was also an officer of the law, and thus also knew that the first time Rune intentionally, albeit by proxy, murdered someone, she became a criminal. There was no future for her in the Bureau, and her crimes were severe enough to warrant imprisonment for the rest of her life. Even the part of me that wanted her to atone for what she had done realized that she was fully aware of the severity of the actions she had taken, and yet she still tried to justify the murder of innocents.

There was only one thing left to do, say the words I had always dreaded having to say to her.

"Runessa Magnus, you are under arrest as the mastermind behind the serial killings of the Mariage incident."

* * *

After Rune's arrest was completed, I watched as Vice-senpai's helicopter flew away with my former fellow enforcer, someone whom I had hoped would become a partner and a friend, as a prisoner of the Bureau. Her final question, however, haunted me, less because of what the question was, than the fact that she would ask it.

She had asked whether I had meant it when I had offered to make her my partner. From her perspective, anything she said to me could be potentially used against her, and her hesitation in delivering her false answer about Toredia was the only flaw in her carefully constructed persona that led me to uncover the truth. She only said what was necessary, to prevent me from seeing her as anything other than what she wanted me to see.

Indeed, everything suggested that Enforcer Runessa Magnus, officer of the law, was merely a façade and everything she had told me was merely her playing her part. She had never considered me a friend, and was trying to push me away; if friendship with me did not benefit her, then it was not worth her time or her effort. But the way she let her guard down around me and appreciated my offer indicated that her vulnerabilities did not belong to "Enforcer Runessa Magnus," but, Runessa Magnus, the girl who had been a child soldier and grew to do so many terrible things. Perhaps she had shared more of herself than I had thought, but more of her remained hidden.

Who was the real Runessa Magnus, and who was I to her?

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Sound stages don't have very long or detailed action scenes, but by all indications, Runessa was taken off guard by Teana's abilities, not knowing that she was observing from elsewhere or what her bullet did to her. It's indicated in the notes that Teana doesn't tell just anyone about this ability.

I decided not to retread the dialogue between Runessa and Teana before and after Teana springs the trap, but it was interesting seeing how surprised Runessa was at Teana taking her off guard, proof that Runessa never understood how much Teana knew about her until it was too late.

It's indicated in the Movie Sound Stage that Wendi and Nove are grateful to Teana for showing them the right path, as indicated by Teana's speech in Episode 24 about Subaru, even though Nove held a grudge against Teana for distracting her with her illusions of the retreating Forwards, delaying her from reaching Cinque.


	5. Understanding Each Other

**Chapter 5: Understanding Each Other**

The night was far from over, though. Rune's arrest and extraction prevented her from seizing control of the Mariage, but Ix was still out there and there were still were almost three dozen Mariage to destroy. For the sake of Subaru, who was risking her life to retrieve Ix, and that of everyone we were trying to protect, I had to give my entire effort. Subaru succeeded in rescuing Ix and was able to escape the ruins with Ix after I opened the way with Starlight Breaker.

After the last of the Mariage had been destroyed, and all that remained was for the fires to be put out, Commander Waltz gathered us together, addressing Erio, Caro, Wendi, Nove, Dieci, Cinque and I.

"Now that things appear to be winding down, I have some good news, everyone," Waltz said. "Nakajima- that is, Subaru- only has minor injuries; she's a lot tougher than she looks. Most of the survivors we've recovered, including Ix, are in stable condition."

Nove breathed a sigh of relief; much like me, she's closer to and more worried about Subaru than she lets on. Cinque, who had come to consider Subaru another younger sister under her protection, simply smiled.

But then Waltz's expression turned uncharacteristically serious, and I immediately knew why.

"Unfortunately, Enforcer Lanster, I think it may be time to worry about yourself," he said. "The preliminary reports have reached the main office about your partner, and they're looking for pretty much everyone who was responsible for Enforcer Magnus getting to her position and sabotaging the Bureau's efforts from the inside- letting the fox in the henhouse, as the saying goes. If someone overlooked something, heads will roll- yours might even be one of them."

This possibility had occurred to me, but it had lain at the back of my mind, compared to the more pressing matters of finding out whether Rune was guilty and resolving this incident. Now, I would likely have to answer many difficult questions about my investigation and whether I was responsible for allowing Rune to obstruct the investigation, but for each question I expected to be asked, there was one more for whcih I hoped to find the answer for my own sake.

With that, Waltz thanked me and dismissed me, telling me to leave the rest to him and the rescue crews. He pointed out that although his and his subordinates' work was far from over, so was mine, although it would have to wait for another day. The only thing I could do until then was rest.

* * *

I reached the apartment where I had been staying with Subaru and, for the first time in the while, opened the door to a room that I knew no one but I would occupy for some time. Rune had once had her own hotel room, but now slept in a Bureau detention cell, and Subaru was in the hospital. Feelings of loneliness, all too familiar to me, returned, and my thoughts returned to the case. This was the only outcome that was acceptable under the circumstances, and yet, it was one that I had deeply hoped would not come to be.

However, I could not forget Rune so easily, much like an amputee suffers from phantom pain and the reminder that they can no longer do many things without the lost limb. My hopes for the possibility of an ongoing professional and personal relationship in the future had all vanished, and seemed like distant fantasies, much like my brother's dream to become an enforcer had faded after his failed mission.

But I also remembered that I was no longer alone. I had lost my parents and brother, but I was able to move on with my life, connecting to others. It was a tragedy that Rune did not realize that at any point before she set out to finish Toredia's work, but my life would go on, and I had my own duties and desires.

* * *

In the aftermath of the incident, many of the people involved with Runessa, mainly those responsible for enlisting and promoting her, as well as her former superiors and colleagues, were summoned for inquiries. The quality of the background check on her was found to be at fault, and several people in Personnel were forced to resign.

Surprisingly, I avoided official punishment on the grounds that I had been the one to catch Rune and prevent her from causing any more damage. However, I didn't feel as though I was clear of all responsibility, and I suspect neither did the people investigating the case. There were a few occasions when Rune left my sight long enough to place a private phone call, and this was presumably what several of the victims had received before their deaths. It was thus, in retrospect, unwise to accept Subaru's offer, as doing so enabled Rune to spend more time out of my sight. I also wondered if I would have suspected Rune with what I knew had I not been her partner, but I then realized that if that were the case, I might not have learned as much as I did.

I was no good to the Bureau as I was at this point, plagued by doubt and guilt. I decided to take a leave of absence and initially return to service at reduced duties before returning to full time. It was also one of the few times I had time off since the Mariage incident began, and I intended to do some things that I could only do on leave, such as train, study my Enforcer texts, see the Nakajimas and visit my the Lanster family grave.

* * *

A few weeks after the case, I called Nanoha-san while she was on break and told her what I was allowed to say regarding the case. I think she understood what I was trying to say, and may even have been able to connect the dots and realize what I did not tell her.

"From what I heard, I'm not sure you could have done anything more with the evidence you had, but I think Fate-chan and Chrono-kun are the experts on being an Enforcer," Nanoha-san said. "Don't let it get you down, though."

"I… haven't given up on being an Enforcer, though," I said. "It's the dream my brother pursued, and now that I am an Enforcer, I've seen that I can make a difference. I just want to learn from my mistakes and come back able to make that difference as best as I can."

"That's good to hear," Nanoha-san said. "You know, Teana, I think you've grown up quite a bit since you first came to Riot Force 6. Back then, you would have thrust yourself into action after making a mistake despite your frustration with yourself, only to make another mistake while trying to make up for your previous one. Now, you seem to be taking a step back, and resolving to come back ready to deal with anything next time."

"Thank you, Nanoha-san. Talking with you has helped me understand quite a few things."

As we exchanged our goodbyes, I realized that perhaps, even with my mistakes, the case was not in vain, as it presented to me an opportunity to learn and improve myself. Indeed, it also showed how much I had changed since I first met Subaru and even from the start of my time in Riot Force 6.

And yet Rune had chosen to remain caught in the past, weighed down by her painful memories, and thus chose to inflict pain on others. She had chosen that road, and now she was no longer willing or able to turn back.

* * *

More immediate concerns were in my head in the days after the Marine Garden fire, such as the state of Subaru, whom Ginga-san and I visited in the hospital after giving a report on the case, as well as Rune's last question.

One concept people do not always grasp about our relationship is that Subaru is not always trying to annoy me, and I am not always losing my temper at Subaru. If Subaru is feeling depressed, I will show her appropriate concern, and I often don't have the energy to lose my temper or act in a way reminiscent of what some would call a "Tsundere" if I am depressed, and she reacts accordingly.

Unfortunately, Subaru may sometimes be absent-minded and reckless, but she is not necessarily stupid, and she was perceptive enough to guess that I was not shaking off what had happened as easily as I wanted her to believe.

"Tea, I'm sorry to hear about your partner," Subaru said.

"Sorry that I had to do my job and arrest the killer?" I said. "I had come to terms with the necessity of doing so by the time it came to act."

Subaru and Ginga-san did not doubt that I was entirely sincere, but they correctly suspected that there was more that I was not telling them.

"Still, you spoke quite highly of Runessa-san," Ginga-san said. "Coming to the realization that she had deceived you and that all the qualities you respected never truly existed must have been difficult."

While I was fairly stoic when asked about arresting Rune, Ginga-san's question brought our conversation to the more complex matters about Rune, ones that I had not completely settled. I sighed and paused for a moment to think before answering the question.

"I'm not sure how much she deceived me," I said. "It reminds me of a story Fate-san told me once, about how her brother, Admiral Chrono once had to investigate someone he respected. This person, when confronted, revealed that his motives were better intentioned and more akin to what the person Admiral Chrono knew would do, and even though he was working against Admiral Chrono, he trusted him to do the right thing. In short, perhaps the signs were always there, and apart from her being a criminal rather than an Enforcer, this is not so much out of character for Rune"

"I see what you mean," Subaru said. "However, maybe it's just me, but I can't get my head around how Runessa-san could talk to and work with us all this time, and then turn around and presumably plan on killing us all to let the Mariage continue their rampage."

Subaru's question not only rang true, but spoke from her personal experience. Fighting against Ginga-san, even though she had been brainwashed to no longer act, or even fight, like the sister Subaru once knew, was extremely painful for Subaru, and she said the same thing of the possibility of having to fight any of her friends or family in a life or death battle. And now that some of her enemies from the JS Incident had become her friends, and others her sisters, she said the same would apply for them.

And her reaction was hardly a rare one. It's psychologically easier to kill a stranger than someone you know well, as well as easier to cast a spell from afar that levels an inhabited city block than to look a victim in the eye before performing a fatal blow.

"When I arrested her, she seemed to be surprised, as though she expected me to trust her, and asked me if I had lied to her when I asked her to become my partner; I hadn't," I said. "She had no more reason to lie at this point, now that she'd been exposed, especially not about a matter like this, but why would she confide this to me? And why would my offer mean so much to her if she was not truly on my side?"

"I think there's only one person who knows the answer to that," Subaru said.

* * *

Rune sat in her cell, wearing a white prison uniform and handcuffs, while I sat outside, recording her statement. She essentially confessed to all her crimes, no longer seeing any point to hiding her actions now that she was caught and Ix was no longer of use to her. However, there was one other question I had left to ask her, and now that she had nothing left to lose, there was no longer any reason to hide the truth from me.

"Rune, I answered your question by saying that I had in fact meant to make you my partner at the end of the case," I said. "And now, I have a similar one of my own; you have no obligation to answer this, but I would simply like to know the truth. What was I to you, if your intentions were always to deceive us and continue your killings?"

"I suppose it's best expressed by a personal anecdote of mine from Orussia," Runessa said. "One day, I went out to a market that sold goods without regard to who was buying them, even across factions. During that time, I encountered a boy about my age. I knew he was actually a fighter for another faction, but I don't think that he ever guessed my identity. While picking up our respective supplies, we talked about the conflict in general, avoiding identifying our own personal affiliations, and learned that we had more in common than we thought, as two people forced to fight."

I listened intently. "What happened to him?" I said.

"A few days later, fighting broke out in a nearby ward, and my faction was able to seize territory. During the fighting, I shot someone with a mask who was firing on our position, but while he was mortally wounded, one of his comrades tried to evacuate him. One of the bodies recovered after the shootout turned out to be that boy. To this day I'm not sure whether I was the one who shot him dead."

"So what does that mean about our relationship?"

"Simply put, I realized that regardless of the rapport between us, we were enemies all along, and forced into opposition by playing our parts. You, _Enforcer _Lanster, are bound by law to arrest criminals regardless of their motivations. Before we even met, I had already been responsible for a few murders, which naturally precluded the partnership you hoped for in the future, as the case could only truly end with my arrest, dishonorable discharge and imprisonment, or in a war that you would give your life trying to stop."

"So that's why you had tried to distance yourself from me."

"I suppose that's what I planned to do. However, you kept on reaching out to me, trying to understand me. I thought that you might understand one day why I did what I did, and perhaps understand pain before everyone else did. I knew that things would likely end with either your death or my arrest, but for the time being, your attempts to reach out did have meaning, and I enjoyed our time together, as well as the moments in which we were not acting out our respective opposing roles."

"You hoped I would change my mind?" I said, and Rune nodded. "Unfortunately, for as long as you had been growing up on Orussia, surrounded by violence, hatred and despair, I had been growing up either in the care of my older brother, who was a TSAB officer until he was killed in the line of duty. I've been in the Bureau for a third of my life, and have wanted to join for as long as I can remember. I doubt anything you could have said or could have happened to me would have swayed me."

Rune sighed, admitting defeat on this point.

"That is correct, Enforcer Lanster," Rune said. "Just as your desire for me to become someone who, like you upheld the law and investigated crimes was one that could never come true, my hope that you would understand what I believed was similarly hopeless. However, I still hoped you would come around, because I liked you and hoped we would be able to walk the same path together."

I paused to consider what she had said before continuing. On the one hand, her crimes were severe and she was neither oblivious to that nor remorseful because of it. Lu, by contrast, knew of no other way to revive her mother from her coma, was conditioned by Scaglietti into thinking what she did was justified, and once she realized the truth, regretted what she had done. Similarly, the Numbers cyborgs had largely been conditioned to see the Doctor's work as justified and the Bureau as the enemy, but even within that frame of mind, many saw the conflict as about protecting their sisters.

On the other, while I did not necessarily lead an easy life, I did not have to worry about starving or being shot dead. Nothing justified murder, but perhaps the everyday concerns Mid-Childians faced did come off as trivial to Rune.

And would it be fair to simply abandon Rune, after everything she had felt about me?

"Rune, you killed countless innocent people essentially to prove a point. It pains me to admit it, but there's no question that you belong in prison for that," I said calmly, with a voice that stated the facts without accusing Rune or expressing outrage over her betrayal. Rune solemnly nodded, not out of a belief in the justness of her punishment. She realized that she had staked her life and freedom on this plan, and had to pay the consequences now that she had been defeated, and that everything about her plan went against the values I had as an Enforcer.

"However, I too, do not believe that our meeting was in vain for me, even though I was unable to do anything of value for you" I continued. "Your plan would never have had the effect you desired, but in sharing your experiences, you taught me much about what you went through. I would like to learn more."

"Yes, I would be most grateful," Rune said.

"I'll come back to see you when I have the time," I said, before leaving. I had a dinner appointment with Subaru, who was visiting Ix in the hospital, having heard that she was waking up.

* * *

The dinner with Subaru was less than celebratory. Not only had I learned that my partner had been beyond my help all along, but Subaru had just heard that Ix had gone into a coma that could potentially last a millennium. And yet Subaru managed to put a positive spin on it, as to her, it was not about how long she would be in her coma, but when she would come out.

"Even if Ix comes out a thousand years from now, from talking to her, I get the feeling that there won't be another outbreak of Mariage," she said. "She's changed; she has hope for the future. Maybe in a thousand years we'll have a society in which we won't need to fight; that seems like a fantasy, but I know from talking to her that people can change; perhaps one day they'll understand each other well enough to bring about a lasting peace."

"I was just thinking about Rune's plan," I said. "Her ultimate goal was to spread pain so that everyone will know what war feels like."

"But what about her?" Subaru said. "What's she learning through all this? She seems to be stuck in her old mindset of fighting and hurting others before they hurt you. Even if everyone else changes, she'll never grow at all."

"Exactly, but in a sense, she's not too different from me," I said. Subaru looked astounded before I continued. "She suffered a great deal and closed herself off from others, much like I had. Back in the beginning, you'll notice that I didn't really open up to anyone, least of all you. As you'll remember, we called each other by our last names until shortly after I met Ginga-san."

"I was also different back then, pretty clumsy, impulsive and inexperienced," Subaru said. "I don't blame you for thinking I just joined on a whim to follow my parents' footsteps in hopes of preferential treatment, especially compared to what you experienced and how hard you tried, Tea."

"Of course, that wasn't at all true once I got to know you," I said. "But yes, paying my own way through the academy after losing first my parents and my brother, I thought I had it worse than just about anyone and was jealous of those who were more fortunate than I was. In retrospect, that was petty and insensitive in its own way."

"But you _have_ been through a lot, Tea," Subaru said. "Mom may have died, but Dad and Gin-nee are still there for me. You lost not only your mother, but also your father and your brother."

"You never complained about it," I said. "It didn't sink in fully when I met you, but meeting Erio, Caro, Fate-san, Commander Yagami and many of the other people I know put my problems into perspective. I was no longer the only one I knew who had experienced what I had, and not only could form bonds with others, but I also understood what they were going through. I then came to understand that what happened to me was bad, but there was hardly anything unique or special about it, and the sooner I accepted that, the sooner I could do something constructive with my life."

"And you think Runessa-san could have done the same thing if you'd met her earlier?" Subaru asked.

Her question reflected a deep personal hope she had, one that I shared. The main reason why Subaru found it in herself to forgive and befriend the other Combat Cyborgs was the realization that had her mother not rescued her, she might have been brought up like they were, believing that helping her makers' criminal plans was good, and the ones who tried to enforce the law and protect citizens by stopping her were evil. As a result, she believed that if negative influences could have this much effect on people, then perhaps positive influences could lead the other cyborgs back to the right path. While some of the older cyborgs had no desire to reform, in addition to the severe crimes such as murder on their records, the majority of them, when confronted with the truth about their actions, sought rehabilitation. But Rune never saw the error of her ways and never tried to turn back, partly because she did not feel any desire to do so, and partly because she saw no other choice given how far she had come.

"Perhaps," I said. "She could have possibly understood that what's past is prologue, but stories often end very differently than how they begin, especially if we make choices for the good of others. Unfortunately, as you suggested, she had already made several crucial decisions- and the wrong choices, at that- before I had met her. This was the only truly acceptable way her story could end. But I hope to keep on seeing her, increasing my understanding of what she suffered and hopefully meeting, learning from and teaching others."

Subaru paused to consider my words, and her expression became surprisingly hopeful.

"In that case, Tea," she said, "Even considering how things turned out, your meeting her was not in vain."

* * *

Life went back to normal in Mid-Childia within weeks, and we eventually returned to our separate assignments. One might say that the time had come to move on, or, more cynically, that the world, apart from those directly affected, had forgotten about the death and pain associated with the Mariage incident. But whatever we may suffer, life goes on, and rather than forget the past or be trapped by it, we should remember the painful lessons we suffered and move forward to create a future that is best for everyone. And whatever we may suffer in life, we should not give in to despair and hurt others, but instead try to understand each other, because at times, coming to understand the experiences of others can lead to insights about our own lives, and because it is easier to treat others decently once you can relate to them. My path and Runessa Magnus' may have diverged, but I hope to keep these lessons with me for as long as I live.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Thank you for reading this story.

The reference to Admiral Graham was back when this story pre-dated "Changing Perception". Originally, it was going to be a passing reference, then I decided to write "Changing Perception," and now, I went back and published this story.

Teana's comment about her and Subaru's relationship was inspired by Episode 8 of Strikers. After the near friendly fire incident, when Teana goes off to train by herself and Subaru offers to come along, Teana politely declines Subaru's offer. She also notes in Sound Stage M3 that if she told Subaru just how much she valued her, she would wonder if something was amiss. Teana indicates in the manga that she is "not the only one having a hard time," which could indicate that she gained some perspective on her plight over time.

I heard on the translation thread on the AnimeSuki forum that some Japanese officials sometimes take a leave of absence as a means of apology. I suspect Teana was not officially punished (Caro's narration says those who acted to stop the incident avoided punishment), but I suspect she felt guilty about her belief that she had taken too long to notice Runessa's treason. The rest is my personal interpretation of where Teana went wrong in Episode 7-9 of StrikerS. She starts off feeling inferior to Nanoha, Fate, Hayate, Vita and Signum, ends up almost hitting Subaru, then decides to work hard on the post-mission cleanup to make up for it. She then struggles to train herself hard in order to compensate for her weaknesses, and after the White Devil Incident, is quite upset over being taken off combat readiness, thinking it's because she's useless. As talented as Teana is, her main flaw is that she initially persisted even when what she was doing was less than optimal, and did not know how to deal with her mistakes apart from trying even harder, both of which she learned to overcome by the end of StrikerS.

As for Teana's conversation with Runessa, I decided to give my own interpretation of what was said between them, since Caro notes that Teana didn't talk about what they discussed, but she did say that Teana continued to visit Runessa in prison. This is one reason why this chapter was much longer than the last chapter of Chrono's story, as well as the other chapters in this fic; Teana has more unanswered questions than Chrono does. These unanswered questions are a large part of why I decided to write the fic, to explore just where Teana and Runessa stand now; Teana must acknowledge Runessa's crimes, but I think that in spite of that, they still care for each other to a certain extent.

Again, thank you for reading this story and for your reviews. My next project is not yet determined, but it will likely be a shorter story of some sort.


End file.
